Columbine Falls
by autumnsbeginning
Summary: Evangeline is running from everything she knows: her parents who favor her twin above her, the pressures of her family's social circle, and the life she's made. But will Columbine Falls offer solace, or the very heartbreak she's running from?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Thank-yous are at the bottom! Please check them out! Most likely, if you've reviewed, your name and a reply from me are there. Also, instead of clicking back and forth and figuring out which review is from Fanfiction adn which one is from FictionPress, I've decided to put them all together. Just to let you all know, in case that might cause some confusion.

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

_"Do you believe in fairies, Evangeline?" Eliana asked, arms providing a cushion for her head as they both lay sprawled out on the hill, watching the fluffy white clouds form different shapes._

_"I believe in fairies," whispered Evangeline, almost too quiet for her sister to hear. "But not the kind that you believe in." Her words were like a sigh, like a whisper in the wind, barely audible. The word fairy was like a dream, it created pictures in her head and spoke of a different world, one that was not her own._

_When Eliana went inside—she never had a long attention span for something as uninteresting as clouds—Evangeline pulled out her tablet of paper and her paints and began painting the clouds. Art and her imagination were the only things that she had to escape.

* * *

_

Evangeline tossed her sketchbook aside, kicking it underneath her bed as she went to go answer the door to her cottage.

"You could have simply shouted for me to come in," Eliana said, whispering into her room with her new silky dinner dress on. She smiled as she saw her sister noticed her attire and said, "Mother said we'll be expecting a few guests in a half hour. She suggests you wear your best dress."

"How on earth did you make it around the lake with your new dress on?" Evangeline fought to keep her voice in a question instead of a retort. "It's been muddy."

"I took the golf cart," her sister shrugged. "But you'll have to walk, I suppose. You'll have to keep yourself on the dry parts of the concrete." And with that, Eliana flounced out the door as quickly as she had come.

Of course she was on her way to her own bungalow, but she had spent the night up at the mansion with their parents the evening before. She'd insisted on it when it started raining at dinner, saying she couldn't possibly make it back to her cottage without ending up like a drowned rat. Evangeline, of course, was not even allowed the golf cart to get across the lake. She'd had to walk.

The year the twins had turned eighteen, Eliana had wanted, as her birthday present, to live in the old bungalows across the lake with their own bathrooms and kitchens. They were adults now and didn't want to live in the mansion anymore. Evangeline especially wanted her own place, but never dared mention this.

And so they'd had the crews come in to fix up the cottages just to Eliana's liking. Poor Evangeline hadn't had a choice in what she wanted hers to look like, but was satisfied just to be out of the house and away from her demanding parents. That way, she could play the piano without anybody knowing about it.

She'd been studying classical artists for years, and had first begun to play the piano at thirteen. With her spare money she'd raised enough to buy a miniature electric keyboard, and she played secretly at night with the volume nearly all the way down.

Evangeline had picked up a book at the library when she was nine about piano playing and had been addicted to it since. Even though it had taken her years to collect enough money to buy a keyboard, she hadn't wasted the time. She'd studied every thing she could possibly learn about the piano, and immediately could point out which key was which. She could also recite all of the scales backward by the time she was eleven, and often pretended she had a piano she was playing when she did them.

Her parents never let her have any money of her own, except for eight dollars a month allowance. Evangeline's family was wealthy, extremely well-to-do with endless thousands to spend, but were increasingly frugal with every buck. Except, of course, when it came to their daughter Eliana; she got every little thing she wanted.

Not so with Evangeline. Just to get a cheap plug-in keyboard, she'd had to lie to her parents. Every time there was a field trip or a fee at school, she would tell her mother and father a few dollars more, hoarding the extras in a jar beneath all her clothes in her unmentionables drawer in her dresser. This worked for a few years, and she'd succeeded in getting halfway there.

But Eliana soon provided another barrier. She hated the school bus and the runny-nosed kids at school. When the two twin sisters turned eleven, they were pulled out of school and started to be home schooled. Now Evangeline's parents could see first hand how dumb she was.

She'd always been told so. Evangeline was stupid and Eliana was smart. Evangeline was ugly and Eliana was pretty. Evangeline was without talent and Eliana was beyond gifted. Even though they were born at the same time, Eliana was the first baby to appear in the world, the one their parents had fallen in love with. They weren't identical twins; Eliana had always been gorgeous, even as a baby.

Never had Evangeline understood why her parents called her dumb when she got straight A's. Knowledge was the thing she was good at; she had a knack for memorization. She recalled reading snippets of Shakespeare by the time she was in fifth grade, and she enjoyed reading above anything else. And by the time she'd collected enough money to buy a piano from doing small jobs around other neighborhoods; she had already committed some parts of several books on piano to memory.

The minute her fingers touched the keys she knew that this was her talent. She'd never thought that she had a talent for school, but even if she had confidence when it came to knowledge, the piano created a warm feeling in her gut more than anything else had in the world, other than watching the kids' theatre perform in the school auditorium.

Piano was the one thing she refused to let her parents spoil. Even if she were the worst piano player in the world, she vowed she would never let her parents—or Eliana—be the ones to tell her so. No, they had already told her enough to make her realize and feel like she were the worst daughter on earth. She just wanted to do something that made her happy, even if she wasn't very good at it.

Just like drawing. She'd been doodling in her notebooks since she was in school. One of her favorite things to draw was dragons. She loved dragons, and even though her parents had never allowed her to hang posters, she had a sketchbook full of drawings she'd sketched while looking off of books from the library about dragons. Dragons and fairies took her off into another world not her own, and that was another thing that she loved about drawing. She would concoct stories in her brain about each picture, the plot taking her wherever it may. She'd never been good with words, but she couldn't resist the imaginary world her drawings created.

Evangeline tugged herself from her thoughts, bringing herself back to the present. Sighing, she slipped into her closet to pick out her best dress, wondering what guests would be at the mansion that night. Of course, Eliana's boyfriend would be there. It seemed he was at the table at every large dinner. She pulled her wine-colored dress down over her head, the one her mother had bought for her, saying, "You need something besides that disgraceful black lace to wear to dinner."

She slipped the matching shoes onto her feet, muttering at the high heels. How was she going to make it around the lake—in these heels—in time for dinner? She sniffed and shrugged into her coat; thinking all the while about what she would do when she came back to her cottage. Already she was planning the time she didn't have to spend with her parents at the mansion.

As she shut the door to her cabin and started walking through the trees, she couldn't resist the temptation to let her imagination run wild. Instead of a cement path weaving in and out of the damp tree trunks, she saw a warm elf grove full of lively autumn colors. Instead of the rotten leaves coating the muddy ground in brown tones, she pictured vibrant hues of yellow, red, and orange. In the next moment, she was reminded of the picture she'd drawn during the last winter, depicting a fairy walking through the snowy woods.

Evangeline did not imagine fairies as small, tiny creatures with wings. No, fairies were tall, elegant creatures of marvelous and stunning beauty. They walked with poise and were the very essence of mystery itself. They flew through the air with their beautiful wings, and never ceased to be beautiful. When she pictured them in her head, they were somewhat like J.R.R. Tolkien's elves, but with colorful wings and dresses.

And dragons were not evil as depicted in some books. Dragons were vast creatures filled with secrecy. They lurked in and out of the shadows, but were never violent like the ancient stories have spoken of.

Fairies _did _exist. She knew they did, because she'd seen them several times before. A flash of a wing disappearing behind a tree. A feeling when she was completely alone that there was another presence in the room. The creatures that danced in her mind during the dreaming hours. The rustle of a dress on the floor as it vanishes around the corner, and she only able to glimpse a corner of the fabric.

Her mind filled with these pictures, she hurried inside the big house. She'd followed the trail twisting and turning alongside the peaceful lake until she'd reached her parents' mansion on the other side. Her parents were filthy rich, and they owned the lake and all of the buildings around it. These buildings were for the workers and anybody else who wanted to rent. Of course these people were not to bother the family and provided their own meals.

"Our guest is expected in ten minutes," said a hard voice from further down the big hall as soon as she turned from shutting the huge double doors behind her. "You're punctual tonight. Interesting."

"Good evening, Mother," Evangeline breathed, having long learned to ignore her mother's comments and her own anger in response, instead being patient and pretending like the words hadn't even been spoken. She resisted the temptation to reach down and rub her already sore ankles. She couldn't imagine the walk home that night when the sun was down, knowing she would step in countless puddles without being able to see. "Who are our guests tonight?"

"Why, two of them are already here. Why don't you go into the dining room; Eliana's already chatting with them," Mrs. Winter said, her shoes clicking on the hardwood floor. She threw a warning over her back, "Behave yourself."

"As if I hadn't ever before," Evangeline muttered to herself, and she turned to walk into the dining room. Richard, Eliana's boyfriend, was sitting with her one side of the large table, while another man sat on the other.

Surprised to see him there, Evangeline said cheerfully, "Good evening, Daron. Nice to see you again, Richard." She sat down in her regular spot, which happened to be a few seats away from Daron. She turned toward him and said, "I haven't seen you in quite a while. Are you back for a while or just for a visit?"

"My job brought me here for at least six months," Daron answered. Daron had worked for her father a few years before and ate dinner every Friday at their house. He'd switched jobs just the year before and moved to New York. His previous interest had been in Eliana, but that had faded after he'd realized he could never get her. The man was tall and handsome, but she'd never taken interest in him. Even though he had impeccable manners and an engaging smile, and also a ton of money, she knew he wasn't for her.

"Well, it's nice to have you back," Evangeline said with a smile, even though she couldn't have cared if Daron had returned. Years and years of classes taken on manners and etiquette and many lectures from her mother had taught her just how to behave around guests.

They had dinners frequently, almost every week, and a big one on the last Friday or Saturday of the month. It was, her mother had told the sisters, an obligation when it came to their social status. The twins had grown up accustomed to sitting quietly at the table and engaging in polite conversation when necessary. Eliana especially enjoyed being sophisticated, but if Evangeline had a choice she would be snuggled on the couch in front of a fire, not wearing a dress but a baggy T-shirt and sweat pants.

"Thank you," Daron said, darting a quick glance at Eliana then returning his gaze to Evangeline. "So I haven't heard what you've been doing lately."

"Well," she started, unsure of what to say. Nobody had taken any particular interest in what _she_ was doing, it was always her sister. "I'm really not doing much these days."

"Please," Eliana said, tossing an exasperated look at Richard. "You must be doing _something _all holed up in your cabin for days on end."

Evangeline licked her lips and was about to answer—though she didn't know what with—when her father walked into the room.

"Well, I see we have some early guests," Mr. Winter smiled briefly before sitting down at the head of the table. "I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier."

Daron stood up quickly and shook her father's hand. "Don't apologize; I hope it wasn't a bother for me to come a bit early."

"No problem at all," Mr. Winter shrugged, nodding in his usual greeting to Richard. He turned to Eliana, but he spoke to both the girls and even the other two men, "Scott Kincaid is coming tonight. I guess he's leaving for Colorado in a few weeks, so we wanted to have him before he leaves."

"Is that it?" Eliana asked with a frown. Normally they had more guests than what they did.

Mr. Winter shrugged. "Your mother felt it was better to have just the closer family friends over tonight." He beamed at Daron. "It's great to have you back here. I expect you'll be coming back in a few weeks to eat dinner with us again?"

"Of course, if you'd like to have me," Daron replied. He turned toward Evangeline again. "You were saying…"

Again she was about to speak in reply when Mrs. Winter entered the room with a whoosh, Scott Kincaid trailing behind her. Evangeline frowned, having not heard the doorbell, and then smiled at the irony of being interrupted twice when she had really _wanted_ to be interrupted.

Mr. Winter stood up to shake Scott's hand. "Nice to see you, Mr. Kincaid."

"Call me Scott," he said with a grin.

Evangeline couldn't help but smile at the man's shaggy, curly brown hair that looked unkempt but fine on him. Nobody else could pull of his messy hairdo without looking goofy, but he had a way of broadcasting to everyone around him that he considered his appearance adequate and didn't care what anyone else thought. His tie did not match his outfit, and she suspected he'd not put it on correctly. His grin was mischievous, like he was hiding something and was very excited about it. He did not look proper and classy, yet he'd grown up in a home every bit as sophisticated and well-to-do as her own. _What his mother must think, _she thought to herself, but then remembered, _not every mother is like mine._

Scott nodded to everyone around him, and even though his smile was only a simple lift of the corners of his mouth, it shone in his eyes as his eyes lingered on every one of them. He sat casually in the chair next to Daron and at once engaged the man in conversation. Mrs. Winter floated toward the table and sat at the end across from her husband, and minutes later an elegant three-course dinner was served.

* * *

"Are you walking back to your cottage in this weather?" Daron asked Evangeline in the hall, his voice echoing off the walls and the two-story high ceiling.

She shrugged. "I was going to ask Eliana if I could ride with her in the golf cart. If not, I might get one of the workers' gators." The dark sky was pouring a mixture of rain and snow, and she knew she would never be able to walk.

"Richard and I are going to go out for a while," Eliana said, having heard her statement. "And I'll need the golf cart when I get back." In other words, her sister was saying that she could not use the vehicle.

Evangeline sighed and moved down the hall toward the rear double doors. "I guess I'll use a gator."

"The gators don't have roofs. You'll get wet," Daron protested, hurrying after her. "I'll take you around to where you park your car. You'll have a way shorter distance to walk that way. I'll even walk with you, if you'd like."

She was about to refuse his offer, but thought about driving a gator in the cold with the sleet coming down on her head. She turned toward him. "That would be wonderful if you could drive me to my parking space, if you will." She'd never even ridden in the same car with a man, but she realized she was willing to risk it to avoid being soaked clear through.

"Let's go, then," Daron said, flipping his keys out of his pocket.

They ran into Scott Kincaid in the foyer as he was about to leave, and he turned to smile at her just before he went out the door. "Nice seeing you again, Evangeline. I left my Colorado address with your father, in hopes you and your family might want to come and visit someday, even though I know you're all busy. Anyway, thanks for having me."

"So why this sudden move to the Rockies?" Evangeline asked, mustering her boldness. She was already taking one risk with Daron; she might as well take another in order to find out what she'd been curious about all evening.

"Well, my uncle recently passed away, and he owned a ranch up in the mountains. The ranch is huge, and I used to go up there every summer to spend time with him. I used to tell him nearly every day how much I loved his ranch, so he put me in charge of it in his will. The place is great. It's sort of a hotel as well, and you meet all sorts of people out there," Scott explained, jangling the keys in his hand.

"I see," Evangeline nodded. She shrugged into her coat. "Well, good luck with your drive home on these roads. Daron was kind enough to give me a dry ride back to my lodge in this weather."

And with a wave, he was gone.

Scott had been one of the family's friends since she remembered. They had the same social standing and Eliana, Evangeline, Scott, and the other well-off kids always sat together at the social gatherings. His mother had recently passed away, having had breast cancer for ten years, and his father was not taking it well. As a result, in the months past the family had turned away from all of the social parties and she hadn't seen him or his father in a long time.

Daron politely opened the door to his Porsche for her and ushered her into it. Evangeline smiled and ran her eyes over the interior of the car as he slid into the driver's seat. "You like my ride?"

She nodded with a grin as he revved up the motor and sped out of the circle driveway.

"So you never told me what you've been doing," Daron continued.

Evangeline sighed. What could it hurt to tell him? Her family wasn't around. "I draw." That was the safest thing to tell him.

His interest visibly sparked. "What do you draw?"

"Whatever catches my attention," she said, answering shortly in hopes that he would forget it and move onto a different subject.

But he seemed to have different ideas in mind. "Like what?"

_I can't tell him that I draw fairies, _she thought, _he'll think I'm nuts._ "Sometimes the pictures I get in my head when I read books or something I conjure after seeing a specific movie. Just anything, I suppose."

"How come I didn't know this about you?" Daron asked. "I never knew you were the artistic type." He paused. "I guess I didn't know _what_ type you were. Why don't you show other people your drawings?"

"Because I've never told anyone before," she answered quietly.

Daron frowned. "Why wouldn't you tell anyone? I know you're good. You're good at everything you do."

Evangeline shook her head, not wanting to continue the conversation. No, she wasn't good at a lot of things, and her parents made sure she knew it. Eliana was the one with all the talents.

The car pulled up into her driveway beside her car. She only had to follow the short path to her cottage, and she was thankful that she hadn't had to walk any more. "Thanks, Daron, for the ride. I appreciate it." She got out of the car on her own and shut the door before she could hear him reply. She hurried down the path, not knowing why she was suddenly afraid.

* * *

The drawing was of a fairy floating in the air, her wings fanned out in blue around her, her dress flowing in the breeze. The sketch was complete, and now she was beginning to texture the sky and clouds behind the fairy.

Evangeline sat back, wondering what color to make her hair. She thought a rich auburn in contrast to the soft blue would look good. Listening to relaxing piano music, she worked late that night trying to finish the picture, all the while creating more pictures in her head.

That night, she dreamed of fairies. Fairies and pine trees and mountains.

* * *

**She is beautiful. Every inch of her. Surely everyone knows, everyone thinks so. Except nobody pays the slightest attention to her, and she is quiet. Always so quiet but incredibly cheerful when someone speaks to her. She has mystery, an inexplicable quality that made you want to solve her, for she was like a character in a murder mystery. She was the one always suspected as the murderer but ended up saving everyone in the end.**

**She looks beautiful in everything she wore, whatever way she did her hair. The other one was beautiful, but this one had quality. Lots and lots of quality. Like a case waiting to be cracked, a shell waiting to be broken to unleash the breathtaking beauty inside. But oh, how she was beautiful on the outside, too! Except nobody thinks so.**

**Her mass of black curls weaving down her back and stretching almost to her waist. Her long, charcoal eyelashes framing those stunning dark blue eyes. She never wore makeup except for extremely special occasions, and she looked better without the confounded paint on her face. The other one looked like a clown for all the stuff she cached on herself.**

_**I will break her shell and win her trust. I will crack the case and solve the mystery that is Evangeline Winter. **_

_**

* * *

**_

**Thank you to:**

**Echanting Angel- **Thanks I'm glad it helped!

**Du Weldenvarden Farcai- **You'll be glad to hear that I've finished and posted the end of The Dare! Your enthusiasm makes me smile.

**Paige Halliwell- **Great points! Thank you for taking the time to review and tell me. If you write, I'm sure you knwo how this is--you think about certain points you want to make in yoru writing, and somehow (and maybe htis is just me, I do think I have memory loss) you end up forgetting about it. Some of the things you talked about I hadn't even thought about-good calls! But a few of them I guess I'd just forgotten to incorporate into my writing. Thanks for the reminder! (if I remember) I'll go back and correct that. Thanks!

**triniroo- **That's great! That's exactly why I wrote that segment of the story. And thank you for the suggestion. I'll be sure to remember that in my later writing.

**Merryman**: Indeed I am back! Thanks for the kind message, I really appreciate it. I haven't stopped writing, in fact I wrote more than ever during Christmas Break. I just took a break from Fanfiction and Fictionpress. I began two more stories, and I wanted to see if they would work out before I posted. I believe this one just might work! Thanks again for the encouragement!

God bless, guys, keep writing, and thank you again for the reviews! You have no idea how much they help!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

_Evangeline stepped off the path, her feet crunching the dried leaves underfoot. She'd been curious about what was in the woods for years. She could hear the soft lapping of the lake water on its shores, and the rustle of the breeze through the leaves of the trees. The forest looked almost like something out of a fairy tale; it was beautiful and scary at the same time._

_Suddenly she heard another rustle behind her, and she was sure it was not her own feet. Spinning, she gasped as she saw the end of a cloak as it whipped around the edge of a tree just a few feet away. Sprinting, she whirled around to see who—or what—it was. Looking up, she saw the brown fabric lash around another tree. She ran to that one also, but this time it was gone.

* * *

_

Evangeline touched the keys of her piano gently. Her keyboard had been through so many years with her, but she longed to play a real piano. She even had fantasies of playing a grand piano. Flipping through her new classical piano book, she picked a song by Handel and began playing through it.

The phone startled her. Hardly anybody but her parents knew her cottage phone number, and she wondered what they wanted. "Hello?"

"Evangeline," said a deep voice, "I'm sorry if I pried too much last night. I felt bad the whole time after I asked all those questions."

In a rush, she realized it was Daron. She smiled. "No, no. It's not your fault at all. I just have never told anyone about how I love to draw, that's all, and it was a bit of a shock to suddenly tell someone about all of it."

"Okay," he sighed. "I was worried that I'd scared you off."

Evangeline decided to ignore his odd wording. _Scared me off? _"No. And how did you get my number, anyway?"

"Oh, well, I called your sister. I know her phone number." Again Evangeline decided not to ask _how_ he knew Eliana's number. She just figured it would be safer to let it go.

"Well, I appreciate you calling me," Evangeline said for lack of anything else to mention. "And thanks again for giving me a ride last night." She figured—or hoped—that would be the past of the conversation.

But he persisted. "Listen, Evangeline." He took a breath. "I was wondering if you might want to come over tonight and have dinner with my family." The words came out in a rush, as if they'd been building pressure inside him throughout the entire conversation.

"Oh," was all she could manage in reply.

His question shocked her. She was never the twin to receive invitations from men—it was always Eliana. No man had ever wanted to date her. A lyric from one of her favorite songs came to mind whenever she thought of her sister: _I've watched you glow, and I've stood in your shadow. _All of the men always saw the star, not the sky; the sun, not the earth; the light bulb but not the Christmas tree. Whenever the two sisters stood in the same room, most eyes went to Eliana, never interested in 'the other one'.

"I—I don't know, Daron," Evangeline stammered, suddenly nervous about what she was going to say. She'd never considered him as more than a friend, that was for sure. She was almost as sure about her feelings for him: he wasn't for her. But would she risk just one night with him to make sure, confirm those feelings? "I don't know," she repeated, not knowing what else to say.

"You don't know?"

Evangeline almost smiled, thinking of how ironic it would be for her to answer with _I don't know _again. "You mean, come to your house, for dinner, with your family, as in a—"

"It doesn't have to be a date!" he rushed on, interrupting her before she could continue. She grinned at being caught in mid-sentence for the third time twenty-four hours. "Look, it can just be as friends. We can decide tonight whether we want to change that fact or not."

She smiled, thinking he'd read her mind. "That's exactly what I was going to propose." Evangeline winced, thinking the word 'propose' was probably not a good choice, considering she was trying to let him know that they were just _friends_, but continued anyway, "So yes, that sounds good to me."

"I'll see you tonight? I'll pick you up at six o' clock?" he asked, obviously eager. _Too eager?_

"Yes. Talk to you later, Daron." Evangeline half-smiled as she returned the phone to its cradle.

* * *

Eliana was shocked to hear that her sister had a date that night, and with someone her father had wanted to pair up with _her_ only a year ago! Yes, Mr. Winter had worked nearly nonstop just to get his favorite twin to simply consider a date with Daron, but had given up on that possibility when she'd decided to make her relationship with Richard official. Her parents had been delighted with him as well.

"Oh, won't Daddy be delighted," sighed Eliana, looking into her mirror. "His two daughters are dating the two men he would have picked out for them." She frowned. "But why would Daron go for Evangeline? He hadn't even attempted to get me yet."

"Do you want him to attempt?" asked Richard with a frown. He was sitting on the bed, slipping off his shoes.

"Of course not," Eliana answered with a coy smile. "I just thought for sure he would at least try to get a date with me before going for second best." She shrugged. "I guess he figured he just couldn't do it and gave up before even trying."

"He was right, wasn't he?" Richard asked again.

Eliana grinned. "Yes. I just find it insulting that he wouldn't even attempt—"

"I don't," Richard stated, looking directly at her with a wolfish grin.

She pouted. "Don't do that, now." Suddenly, Richard could almost see the light bulb above her head as her eyes lit, and she returned his smirk. "I just wonder if I led him on, would he follow?"

* * *

Evangeline heard him knock at six o' clock on the dot. She hadn't decided on anything fancy, but instead walked out of her cabin on Daron's arm wearing a simple skirt and blouse. If this surprised him, he didn't let on but opened the car door for her without comment.

"So, what other surprise hobbies do you have that you haven't told me of?" Daron asked as he settled back into his seat and started the engine.

She stiffened. "None, really." She didn't feel good about lying to him, but it was what he got when he decided to pry. "Just drawing."

"There must be something besides art that you enjoy doing," Daron insisted. "Is that all you do?"

Evangeline sighed. "I like to read."

"Really?" Daron raised his eyebrows. "I enjoyed reading when I was in school, but nowadays I can't really find the time for it."

"I've got plenty of time, so I guess it makes sense."

"Well, those two hobbies do go together. Reading used to always trigger my imagination, and sometimes I wished I could draw the pictures is my mind." He said these words with a shrug. It sounded to her like a confession, but he said it without hesitation.

"Yes, that's one of the reasons why I love to read," agreed Evangeline, hoping the car ride wouldn't be too long; she didn't know if she could stand a fifteen-minute drive with Daron. That meant a fifteen-minute conversation with him also.

They spent the rest of the drive to his house chatting about different artists, and Evangeline had to resist herself. She like talking about her favorite artists, but most of all she _loved _discussing her favorite classical music composers. She knew the complete histories of Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, and such. She'd spent much of her teen years reading about them, entranced by their music and the lives they'd led. It was their stories that inspired her to become what she dreamed, no matter of her background or her parents or her emotions. But telling Daron about her knowledge of these composers would mean telling him of her love of piano. He knew too much already, and in case he told her parents…

Daron's parents were wonderful, completely polite and she might have called them angels. Everything seemed to be in perfect order, like heaven. Each of his siblings politely excused themselves from the dinner table, and with Daron being the oldest, he and Evangeline were the last ones to leave other than his parents.

"The backyard is beautiful this time of year," said Daron. "Just about everything is in bloom, and it won't last much longer, maybe a week or two." He grinned and offered her an elbow. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to accompany you on a leisurely stroll through the garden?"

Evangeline saw that he'd been right. The garden was majestic, blooming with hundreds of colors and seemingly millions of different flowers. "Your house is the perfect picture of a medieval castle." She cocked her head to the side. "No, it's more of an old Victorian mansion. You've got all of the old furniture, even a hand-carved dining table. Even your family behaves so chivalrous, it's amazing. Your brothers and sisters have impeccable manners, by the way."

"I'll tell them you said so," Daron smiled, and then sighed. "Yes, you're right. Mother has us all behaving like perfect little angels. It _is_ like living as princes and princesses, we have tutors and lessons and personal maids and tailors. We have servants that work in the kitchens and it seems like endless money. But to tell you the truth, Evangeline, I wish I lived a normal life. You get sick of the false pretenses and facades of compassion and benevolence."

Evangeline frowned, and they turned a corner to look off a balcony.

"Those are the lower gardens, the ones that gather around the river. We can go down there after we watch the sunset; I love watching it from here," he leaned onto the railing to look off into the distance. "You might think my family is perfect; they're not. The charades they play just make it all worse. My mother and father have come close to getting a divorce several times, and I think the one thing that has actually kept them together is their reputation. What would the people think? What would happen to their social status? Who cares about the family, the kids?"

Evangeline drew her brows together, not sure what to think or say. "I'm very sorry, Daron." Here he was, telling her all these things, and she was speechless. Surely she could think of something else to say.

"I've gotten used to the thought," he smiled. "I'm sorry; I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?"

"Not at all," Evangeline murmured. "In fact, you're making me feel much better about my family." There was silence after these words, as if he was waiting for her to elaborate, but she said no more. No, she'd already told him too much. What if something happened and their friendship broke? He would have the power to go and tell her family, her sister or her parents all of the things she'd told him. No, she couldn't leave herself vulnerable to all that.

Meanwhile, while both of the young people were lost in their separate thoughts, the sun was quickly descending into the earth. It was if the glowing yellow circle was melting into the horizon, shooting metallic rays of orange, red, gold, scarlet, and yellow into the darkening sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Evangeline nodded in agreement. "I wish I could paint it." She shut her mouth abruptly, wishing she could take those words back. She hadn't meant to say them, they'd just slipped out. Sighing, she buried her forehead in her palm and leaned into the balcony railing. The strangest feeling engulfed her, like she was being sucked into a black hole, unable to escape. What had she gotten herself into?

"What's wrong?" Daron's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Nothing," she answered quickly, breathlessly, turning toward him. "Daron, could you take me home?"

He nodded, his brow knit together and his expression questioning, but he didn't ask about her sudden request. He led her down the balcony stairs and through a side gate, opening his car door for her. The minutes passed by slowly until the silence was broken. "Evangeline…"

"I don't know," she answered, knowing the question he was going to ask.

"Was it something I said, that I did?" he asked, not willing to give up.

"Of course not," she said. "It has nothing to do with you." She smiled at the common line she'd just used. "It's just that I barely know you and yet I've shared one of my deepest secrets with you already. I feel like I've given a huge part of me away, like I've been left vulnerable just because I don't have control over that one secret anymore."

"Your secret… the one about drawing and painting?" when she nodded, he continued with his questions, "What's so secret about your knack for art?"

Evangeline shrugged, and he put his car into park. "If you remember, I've already told you about my family. Believe it or not, I haven't told anyone about who they really are. So you have dirt on me, too."  
He got out and opened her door for her. "Well, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"You promise? Evangeline held her breath.

"I promise."

* * *

That night, Evangeline sat in front of her easel, trying to picture exactly what the sunset looked like from Daron's balcony. Instead, her mind kept playing images of the past few days, many of them including Daron. He'd been kind to her; it wasn't what she'd expected. Everything in her past, in her childhood, had told her to expect something else.

Like the man she'd dated in high school. Brad had been everything she'd ever dreamed. He was interested in art, and even though she was home schooled and they didn't go to school together, they'd met at an art class at one of the community colleges. It was a junior college course she'd taken in secret, paying for it with her own money. Her parents always deposited money in her account monthly, but also kept track of her withdrawals and checks and where she spent her credit card.

Eager to have a male interested in her, Evangeline had been too swift to trust. Even though they'd held much in common and became good friends, she'd still left her heart vulnerable to being broken. Brad showed interest in her, even asked her out on a few dates, enough to get her paranoid about how she looked and felt around him. On every date she was wondering if he was going to hold her hand, if he was going to kiss her. Every second of the time she was around him, she was worried about how her hair looked. Any time he put her on the spot or asked her a question, she would panic and her voice would go shaky for fear of saying something to embarrass herself.

Brad left for another girl in the art class. Evangeline wondered constantly why, but she knew the answer. She'd been too worried about it, had cared too much. If she had just been herself things would have gone much better.

_It isn't worth it_. That's what she told herself from then on when it came to guys. They weren't worth the fuss over looking nice, over saying the right thing, over wondering what they were going to do. It was much better to just act normal and pretend not to notice anything. Just be yourself. That was what she constantly told herself, until she _didn't_ care.

But now she was stuck when it came to Daron. She didn't _want_ to care about what he thought. She didn't want to care about what she looked like, and more than that, she didn't want to leave herself exposed in case he hurt her, just like Brad had. If she let herself go, let them get to know each other, it would leave him able to break her heart with a flick of his wrist. It was like he would be holding her heart in his hand, and if she was going to let anyone do that, it would have to be someone she could trust.

Could she trust Daron?

Daron had nearly poured out his heart for her today on the balcony. He'd told her things that he hadn't told anyone else; they were even. A secret for a secret. But he also knew her well, knew that she wouldn't tell anyone even if he turned into a jerk. The blackmail wouldn't work, and even if he told her secret to everyone in the world she didn't know if she could muster the strength to tell his confession and therefore ruin his family's reputation for good.

The phone rang, and Evangeline realized she'd been sitting there for nearly half an hour without even lifting the paint brush. "Hello?"

"I hope I can see you again," Daron answered, knowing it would be her to lift the phone from its cradle. "I didn't scare you off today, did I?"

"You act like I'm some sort of wild animal that would run awayat the slightest lift of a finger," Evangeline laughed softly under her breath. "No, you didn't scare me off. In fact, I was going to call sometime tomorrow to ask a question."

"Is it a question that you can ask me now? I've got time."

"Uh," Evangeline hesitated, "Well, I wanted to know if your sunset is as beautiful as it was this evening every day."

"These days, yeah it is. I like to watch it every evening. Why, you got something in mind?" Daron asked, his voice quickly turning teasing. "I'm good company when it comes to watching the sun go down, aren't I?"

"The best," laughed Evangeline. She suddenly wished she hadn't asked about the sunset. What good would it do her, anyway? He would want to watch her, and she didn't know if she could handle someone watching her—

"Your question?"

"Oh," Evangeline sighed. "You know how I said today that I wanted to paint it? I would like to look at it again, only with my easel in front of me, but—"

"Of course you can. Why don't you come over for dinner tomorrow night again, and we'll try and get done early so you can set up on the balcony in time to see it in full force," Daron suggested. His voice went low. "Look, I know you're pretty skeptic when it comes to your art. I wouldn't have to be there. I could go inside and leave you to your painting."

Evangeline was surprised by his kindness, so taken aback and thankful for his compassion that she blurted, "No! That's fine, and I thank you for thinking of that. But I suppose that you knowing about my painting is as good as you watching me paint. Besides, you could give me tips as I go along." She nearly gasped at her sudden rush of words. Again, it was something she hadn't intended or predicted.

Daron laughed breathily. "That's great. So I'll pick you up about a half hour earlier tomorrow night?"

"Sounds good. Talk to you later, Daron, and thanks again."

* * *

Evangeline took her easel, something that hadn't even been outside her cabin since she'd bought it, and set it up just in front of the balcony railing in almost exactly the same spot she'd stood with Daron the evening before. The sky before her was just beginning to send out rays of gold and yellow.

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to capture the beauty of all of that," she gestured to the horizon before her, "on a blank page like this."

"I've never seen you paint before, but somehow I get the idea that you're going to make the white paper into something as beautiful—and possibly more beautiful—than the actual sunset," Daron said, standing behind her and watching the glowing sun make its path down to the horizon. "Did you bring watercolors or oil paints?"

"Watercolors, and I'll see how it works out. If not, I can always come back tomorrow evening, can't I?"

"Of course you're always welcome on my balcony," Daron grinned, setting his hands on her shoulders.

Evangeline had to resist the tingling in her spine at his touch. It was the first time he'd even laid a hand on her, other than shaking it in greeting or an accidental brushing of arms. The thought that this touch was on purpose made her smile, and not just at the fact that he'd practically invited her to his house any time.

"I've never painted a sunset before," Evangeline stated. "I don't really know where to begin." But she began, mixing her hot colors together to create the same hues as she saw before her. Next, she sat memorizing the picture in her head, just in case she couldn't finish it before dark.

The blue sky near the horizon burst into glorious colors, just as beautiful as yesterday's sunset. And she began painting, not at all sure how it would turn out.

"It's beautiful, just as beautiful as the sunset," Daron commented when she finally sat back, an hour later with her subject long gone.

"It's okay," she said, "considering I've been painting by the light coming from the living room inside." She took the hair tie from her hair that she'd tied back before painting and let it loose. "I should have just gone inside."

"My siblings would have just crowded around you. You never would've been able to concentrate," Daron said with a low chuckle.

Evangeline took the painting from the easel, making sure not to smudge any of the paint with her fingers, and set the large paper wrapped around cardboard against Daron's leg before taking down the easel and putting her paints away. When she'd gathered up all she'd brought, she gave her easel to Daron so she could take her painting with her down to the car. She knew he didn't want the night to be over just yet, considering it wasn't even eight o' clock yet, and she realized she felt the same way.

Daron went over and sat down on the bench near the fountain that sat in the center of the circle drive, and she followed suit, running her fingers through her hair almost nervously. "Hey, thanks for letting me use your balcony."

"Haven't I heard that statement more than once?" Daron teased.

She crossed her legs. "I guess you have. But I really am thankful to get away from my poor cottage. We're both sick of each other."

He laughed in response.

"I would like to get a job, though," sighed Evangeline, toying with the edge of her blouse.

Daron frowned and tensed, just as she'd predicted. "Why would you get a job?" The only people that had jobs in their social circle of 'rich' families were the fathers and perhaps the sons when they got older. Even then the sons helped out with the family business.

"Because I'm bored around my cabin," Evangeline shrugged. "I mean, if there is anything going on at the big house, Eliana's going to be the one invited to it. I never have anything to do with the stuff happening there, except for the weekly dinners I'm _required_ to attend, and in lady-like attire."

"Get a job," Daron said, still shocked, "as in like get a separate job… not in your father's business? I seriously doubt that you're going to go to college to be a lawyer just to get a job with your father."

"I wouldn't want to work with my father anyway," she answered, waving away his comment and pretending not to notice his astonishment. "No, I'm thinking like a job teaching art at the community college. There are so many barriers with that though…"

Daron shrugged. "I doubt your parents would approve."

"I remind you, they don't even _know_ I draw or _anything_. They think I have mental difficulties because I don't have any talents," she grumbled. "At least not any talents that I've shown them." She hadn't meant to tell him about what her parents thought about her. Like everything before, it had just slipped out.

She could tell Daron didn't know quite what to say. He mumbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't know that your parents were like that."

"Nope, you didn't. Nobody knows," she crossed her arms. "And like I said before, they hardly know anything about me. So I would have to get the job in secret, and that would mean asking for my checks in cash, because I can't cash any checks at the bank, or deposit anything. They would find out and ask me what it's about."

"Oh," Daron said, clearly confused at her admission.

"Look, things are very different at my house," Evangeline said in a hurry. "Just like you've mentioned to me, things are not great like they should be at your house, either. I was surprise, just as you are surprised now." She sighed. "I guess sometimes people like us don't have it as good as it may seem."

* * *

**She sits there and talks to him like a rich person, like someone of money. She dresses well-to-do. But one wouldn't know that her hair is naturally curly and silky and shiny like that. She doesn't take weekly visits to the salon, and she doesn't use expensive shampoo and hair care systems. Her nails are perfect because she takes good care of them, not because she gets them replaced with fake ones every two weeks. They are French manicured with the kits you buy from Wal-Mart, done expertly by her own hand every week.**

**Her clothes are purchased by her own money, except of course for the ones she wears out of the house. Those ones her mother buys for her to look nice in order to keep the family reputation unspoiled. She wears no makeup except on family dinner days. But in my opinion? She looks the same, no better—maybe worse—with makeup on. Beautiful.**

**Her manner of speaking betrays years of being tutored at home, professionally. Her elegant handwriting speaks of pages and pages of drills. And nobody except me would know that she speaks fluent French but has taken years of classes in Italian cooking at the community college with her own money. Nobody would know but me where she gets that money—from the time she volunteered at a local Italian restaurant. They'd decided to hire her on the weekends, and they paid her well because of the knowledge she'd gathered of Italian cooking from books and classes. Little did they know that she'd never cooked an entire meal before because her little kitchen hadn't allowed it.**

**Nobody would know but me where she goes when she says she's going out with some friends—to the kids' theatre to watch them perform. Someday I believe she will be painting the backdrops for them.**

**No, this rich girl is not like the rest. Her secrets remain plenty, more than anyone can imagine. She's got a story to tell. She's got a mind unbelievably capable of wonders, all the while pretending to be nothing but mentally disabled, only because that's what her parents have come to expect when it comes to her—only because that's all they've ever _wanted_ to expect when it comes to her.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

_"I got all A's," Eliana announced proudly during dinner. She tossed a smirk in her sister's direction._

_Evangeline shrugged. "I got all A's too." Not that it would matter to her parents. Mom and Dad never believed her, and even when she gave them her report card they would refuse to acknowledge the fact that Evangeline might be as good—or better than—their favorite daughter._

_"No you didn't," Eliana snapped. "You never get good grades." It was like an ongoing charade—Evangeline was dumb and Eliana was smart. Of course Evangeline never got good grades. How could she? She wasn't the favorite._

_The only thing that Evangeline knew was that her teachers knew she had good grades, and that's all that counted. She recalled hearing from a few of the girls at school talking about their grades. "My mom knows I tried my best, and that's what matters, not my one stupid B." That was never the case for Evangeline, it was always vice versa. If only her mother knew that she tried her best in order to someday impress her parents.

* * *

_

"You smell like you've been in the kitchen," Eliana said with a sniff in her sister's direction. She wrinkled her nose. "Don't tell me you've been hanging out with Martha and the rest of the cooks."

_Yeah, I wish. _"I doubt mother would allow me," Evangeline said, wishing she'd remembered to change her clothes and put on some perfume after coming home from the restaurant. "I've just gone out with some friends to a restaurant." She didn't mention the fact that it had been _her _cooking the food for her friends at the restaurant. She smiled at the fact.

"So…" Eliana said, leaning back on the couch and crossing her legs, "Have you been out with Daron lately?"

Evangeline's head snapped back to look at her sister with a frown. "I doubt that's any of your business."

"Oh, but I think it is," Eliana said with her usual level of confidence. Oh, she was very confident.

"Who I do or don't date is my business," Evangeline answered. "It has nothing to do with you." She'd never been mean to her sister in return, but Eliana was always nosy, and she didn't think it would hurt to state boundaries every once in a while. Plus Evangeline did not want to talk about dating someone who obviously considered her second best; ever since coming to work for her father Daron had not had any pretenses when it came to his feelings for Eliana. He just hadn't mentioned anything about them since returning, and although she wondered whether they were still the same, she still knew that it was the same old thing as it always was: "If you can't get Eliana, go for her sister. Second best but good enough."

"Well, you never know what will happen," Eliana said cheerfully and lightheartedly, then jumped up from her couch and flounced out the door.

Evangeline sipped her tea, wondering what her statement could mean. _Don't even think about it. She just wants you to be confused. The girl's playing with your mind. _

She heard her sister's voice from out in the hall. "Speaking of Daron, he's here to see you." Next she heard footsteps and he appeared in the doorway.

"Speaking of Daron?" he said with a grin, sinking into the cushy love seat next to her. "You've been speaking of Daron?"

Evangeline shrugged and gestured to the tray of teacups on the coffee table. "Have some tea." She turned toward him. "How'd you get to be over here anyway? I don't remember inviting you for tea," she teased.

"I just figured you'd enjoy my company," Daron said, leaning forward to take a cup from the tray before settling back in next to her. "But I was also wondering if you would do me the honor of coming with me to an art exhibit tonight. Unfortunately, there won't be a painting exhibit anytime soon but I thought you'd enjoy calligraphy."

Evangeline quickly put a finger to her lips and darted a nervous glance to the open doors. "I don't know, a museum doesn't sound too interesting."

Daron mouthed, "Oh, I forgot" then said, "Well, too bad, you're coming anyway. It will be fun. We'll go out to dinner before we go, and I'm sure you'll have a blast."

She stifled a laugh. "A blast, huh?" She mimicked his almost British accent. "Where'd you get that adorable accent?"

"Ah, so you think it's adorable?" Daron pretended to twirl an imaginary handlebar moustache. "I might use it more often now."

"Don't flatter yourself. I think all British accents are charming; it has nothing to do with you. Is it from your mother's side or your father's?"

"Both," Daron answered. "I might just forget trying to sound American if all the girls love accents as much as you do."

"Who said anything about loving them?" Evangeline smiled. "I called them charming."

"And adorable," he added.

She sighed and looked at her nails. "I guess I'll go to the art exhibit with you."

"Hey," Daron got up and put a hand out to her. "Take a walk with me around the lake."

_I've been around the lake too many times to count. _"Okay," Evangeline took his hand and stood beside him. They walked out into the hall then turned opposite of the main doors to the large doors going out the back of the house.

Daron was looking upward toward the chandeliers and the cathedral-like ceiling of the great hall. "You know, your house is beautiful. And I've only been on the first floor. What else fills the next three stories?"

"Bedrooms, libraries, nothing of import," Evangeline shrugged. "The fourth floor is just storage and dusty attic compartments. Even though Eliana and I used to think that this place was haunted, at least the attic, there's really nothing exciting up there."

"I'll bet you like the library. I know you enjoy reading."

She shook her head. "Nothing but nonfiction in those shelves. Nowhere in this house could you find a nice murder mystery. Not even any of those romance novels that your mother reads. Our family isn't big on fiction."  
"I see," Daron nodded, and they stepped out into the nice weather.

The pavement was dry, but this part of the house reminded her almost of a rainforest or a vacation resort in Mexico or Hawaii. Palm trees were planted in the humid weather out on the lawn, and the pool was open on the days when the weather wasn't stormy. The garden branched off to the left and right; for the first half it only contained tropical plants. It was almost like a greenhouse, the way the thick wall of plants blocked out any cool weather. Every once in a while, a pipe coming from one of the hedges or a large tree would blow a huge cloud of mist and humidity into the air. That way, even on cool days you never got too cold swimming in the pool.

A water fountain bubbled into the pool from the pump up above the rock ledge on the other side of the swimming pool, and if you looked hard you could see that some of the plants were shaped as different animals.

"I love your house," Daron sighed, liking arms with her as they strolled leisurely around the pool. "You'll have to have me over sometime to swim. It's been so long since I've been swimming."

"Really?" Evangeline teased. "So then you won't mind if I do this—" She moved to shove him in but stopped short of pushing him.

Daron reacted quickly; he swung around, catching her arms so she wouldn't fall but making sure that she was the one on the side closest to the pool. With a grin he leaned her out dangling over the swimming pool, still holding onto her arms. He laughed and pretended to lose his grasp, sliding his hands to her hands.

She let out a loud screech, and he laughed again and pulled her back up.

Evangeline took a breath and looked up at him. He still hadn't let her go. His arm was around her back and he held her close. She frowned but didn't tell him to release her.

Before she realized what was happening, his face was inching closer to hers.

A voice cleared. Daron took his arm from behind her back and stepped away from her.

"I would be careful, Daron," Eliana said snidely, walking past them, her heels clicking on the white pavement. "You know you'd have been kissing virgin lips, don't you?"

Daron frowned and looked Evangeline. Eliana kept walking.

Evangeline didn't know what to do; she knew he would ask her if it was true or not, and she didn't want to give him the answer. Before he could speak to her, she slipped away into the garden, where he wouldn't be able to find her. It was a maze, and she'd known the way through it by heart since she was nine. She could hear him calling her name and knew he was following her, but she also was sure she would be to her cabin by the time he found his way out of it.

* * *

Evangeline felt a surge of pride as she put away her paints, not bothering to tear her gaze from her painting, her beautiful new painting. It was the one from those nights painting the sunsets with Daron, but she'd added the different shades of blue that led up to the burst of color, the characteristics of the night sky as dusk began turning to dark. She'd made buildings on the ground in order to make the art look more realistic, painting them with dark blacks and blues, shadows compared to the majestic sunset. The ground was a shade of dark green, the hills rolling into the horizon. 

She wanted to show someone.

But then remembered that the one person she could show was probably thinking about her at this same moment—except with repulsion. What kind of girl went twenty years of her life without kissing anyone? Without giving away that one first kiss? Obviously someone who never had the _chance _to. And _no_, she had to realize, _even if I would have had the chance to, I wouldn't have. Relationships with guys are useless_.

At least that's what she told herself to believe, what she'd learned from experience in her life. But somehow, it only seemed true to her. In high school, she would walk down the street and see people holding hands and having fun together, sitting at Starbucks over a cup of coffee getting to know each other. Eliana always got _something_ out of her relationships, either money or free meals or diamonds or simply the status of being the one to date this person or that person.

Evangeline shook her head, refusing to think about all those things. It only made her sad, and why should she be down considering all the things she had? She should be grateful, not mourning over the things that _didn't _belong to her. Besides, whatever she had with Daron was good for the few days it lasted.

The phone rang, causing her to jump again. She frowned, knowing it was Daron. She knew what he was going to say, and she didn't want to answer his questions. _Don't run, Evangeline_, she heard her conscience say. "Hello?" It was like peer pressure, except it was her conscience and her heart persuading her brain and her hands to do what they wanted.

"I'm sorry."

Evangeline frowned. It was Daron, but what should he apologize for? She had been the one to run away from him, away from the situation. Mentally she scolded herself for being a wimp and running away. "Sorry for what?"

Sigh. "For making you run away."

"Nothing but my brain and my legs made me run away," she replied. "And I should be the one apologizing."

"I must have scared you half to death, nearly kissing you like that. _That_ is what scared you witless," Daron said, and she smiled at his British accent, "and it had only been what—three, four days?"

"Five," sighed Evangeline. "And, if you remember, I didn't exactly pull away when it happened."

"You couldn't," replied Daron. She didn't ask what he meant by that, but she knew that he was right.

Before the conversation went any further and any more questions were asked, Evangeline knew she had to change the subject. "Are you at home?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I have something to show you," she was unable to curb the excitement in her voice. "I've been working on it for the past five hours."

"I'll come over and see it if you tell me it's still on for the art display tonight."

* * *

"I ruined the entire thing. They were about to kiss by the pool, and I walked by, mentioning to both of them that Evangeline had never kissed anyone before. Then I went behind a tree and watched her sprint as fast as she could into the garden maze. You should have sent the look of terror on her face—and the expression of disbelief on his." Eliana was narrating her own story to Richard, face animated as she told him. 

Richard was wondering why she became so interested in ruining her sister's life. Was there no love between them? "So that's all you're going to do?" Richard asked, not sure whether to be bummed or hopeful, the same way he was unable to decide what was so disturbing about Eliana's love of dramatics.

"Oh, no, of course not," Eliana said, waving away the question with her hand. "I _overheard_ them talking on the phone yesterday afternoon, and of course he'd called to apologize, and she'd apologized in return, and it's all patched up. She even invited him over again today to show him something."

"Do you know what time it was that he was supposed to come over?" asked Richard, unable to disguise his curiosity.

Eliana's expression took on an evil angel look as she tapped her watch with her bright red fingernails, "Right _now_."

Richard didn't even want to know her plan. And yes, he knew she had a plan, because as of now they were supposed to be upstairs playing a game with Mr. and Mrs. Summer, and Eliana had faked a headache and said she'd rather be downstairs taking a nap on the couch in the parlor.

* * *

Daron rang the doorbell, expecting Evangeline to answer. She'd said that her parents had scheduled a family game morning, 'forgetting' to invite her and that they'd all be upstairs so she could show him her painting without interruption. 

When Eliana opened the door, he knew that something was different, but couldn't quite place his finger on it. "Hello, Daron!" She greeted him almost overly cheerfully. "Why don't you come and sit down in the parlor. I'm sure Evangeline will be here in a little bit. She didn't mention anything about you visiting. Are you sure she's going to meet you here?"

"That's what she told me," Daron shrugged, feeling somewhat like a puppy as he followed her into the parlor, wondering where Richard was. He was always with her. He was almost glad the monster of a man wasn't there—for some reason, Eliana was swinging her hips back and forth as she walked, at least more than usual this time.

She sat on the couch and crossed her legs, making sure he didn't miss the way the slit up her skirt went nearly wall the way up her thigh. When he moved to sit across from her on the love seat, she pouted and patted the space next to her. When he didn't make any move to sit by her, she automatically got up, walked around the coffee table to sit—slowly and seductively—next to him. He had to avert his eyes as she crossed her legs. _She's sitting so close. Why?_

"Listen, I had a few questions to ask you," she said in a low voice. "Questions I've wanted to ask since you first came back."

Daron tried to sound cheerful and oblivious to the fact that she'd lowered her eyelids and was looking at him. He half-expected her to purr like a cat and stroke his leg as he shrugged and said, "Go ahead."

"Why are you dating Evangeline?"

"Because I like her. Why else would I be dating her?"

"The last time I checked, you and my father were in cahoots, trying to get _me _to date you," Eliana stated.

"That was before I left. I've changed since then—a lot," Daron sighed, wondering where this was going, and her motives for asking these crazy questions. "Besides, you made it unmistakably clear that you didn't have any interest in you."

Eliana's eyes sparked. "What if I told you that it had changed?"

"Then I would get up, apologize to you and say that it couldn't happen. Evangeline has already entrusted many things to me, and I have her trust. I can't ruin that at one word from you," Daron heard footsteps in the hallway, and he got up to leave.

Eliana grabbed his hand, tugged him down hard. Before he could pull away, she'd grabbed his jaw and pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

Evangeline tried to steady her steps, excitement filling her veins. She'd never showed a complete painting to anyone, and she had a feeling that his was her best one yet. Her fingers were turning white; she'd carried the canvas all the way from her bungalow in the woods, and they were tired. But it was worth it. So worth it. 

She heard voices from the parlor and wondered who was talking. She was hoping that since she was late Daron would let himself in, but who would he be talking to? Fear took over, and she set her painting down before opening the door to the parlor, in case one of her parents were there talking to him. They would see her painting and wonder who it was by. She'd already signed the bottom of it, and they would know it was by her.

Instead, as she walked into the parlor, she did not see Daron and her parents sitting politely in the chairs chatting. In fact, she did not see _anyone _chatting.

What she _did _discover was heart stopping. Her sister and her boyfriend—well, her half-boyfriend—sitting in the love seat. Not talking. Not glaring at each other, as usual. But kissing.

Too late, she stifled a gasp. Daron's eyes opened, and she was sure he had seen her. She slipped off her shoes to be able to run faster, and sprinted down the hall. As she hopped in a gator and drove off as fast as the vehicle would go, she heard Daron calling her name from inside her house.

But there would be no reconciliation this time.

* * *

Daron pushed Eliana away as he stood in the back doorway to the hall, watching as Evangeline sped past the pool and into the woods on the path. He didn't feel anger, not even toward Eliana. He felt horrible. Even though he hadn't meant to, he'd completely spoiled her trust. He'd ruined everything.

* * *

Evangeline pressed on the brake, the tires screeching to a noisy halt in front of her bungalow. Her emotions, her heart, her entire body were numb. She didn't know what to feel as she ran to her door. 

To her surprise, there was a note on the door, attached to a few train tickets to Colorado. On the note was Scott Kincaid's address in Colorado, probably the one that he'd left the night he'd had dinner with the family before leaving. She frowned, wondering who had left it. The person had paid for a first class ticket, one that had probably been very expensive.

"I suppose I have to take it since its first class," Evangeline grumbled to herself. She glanced around the woods, wondering if anyone was watching. Who had left the train ticket and the note? Whoever did was trying to send her on a huge guilt trip. If she went somewhere else on a bus, she would sit all day on the uncomfortable seats thinking about first class on a train. "All right, I'll take it."

She didn't stop to think about the fact that the person who had purchased the tickets and left the note on her door would be the one person who knew where she was, especially when people started looking for her.

_But if they start looking for me_, thought Evangeline as she stuffed two large duffel bags full of clothes, _it's not like they can call the police and report kidnapping. I'm a full-grown adult. I should have done this two years ago when I first _became_ an adult._ _Plus they know that I ran away willingly. At least Daron and Eliana know._

When she'd finished 'packing', she threw all of her bags of toiletries, clothes, and her one bag that held her easel and all of her art materials into the back of her car and sped off toward the bank. She would withdraw most of the money in her saving's account… maybe all of it, considering she had no clue what would be there.

Evangeline gasped when the teller told her how much money she had. She hadn't had any idea. Her parents always said that they gave Eliana a hundred dollars every time she got good grades and two hundred dollars per year every Christmas if she'd been good. Evangeline hadn't realized that her parents had done the same thing for her, but without telling her. That was more than five-hundred dollars per year since they'd started sixth grade! She withdrew all of it in cash, knowing that if she took bank notes her parents would be able to track her to where she cashed them.

She grabbed a quick sandwich at the train station before catching the one o' clock train to Colorado.

* * *

Daron strolled down the sidewalk to Evangeline's bungalow, fully repentant for what he'd done. Half the time he wanted to yell at Eliana, tell everyone—especially Evangeline—that it wasn't his fault. But the rest of the time he felt guilty. He knew that he'd kissed her back, that he still had dreams about saying "I do" with Evangeline's sister at the altar beside him. He also knew that it would never happen, and that the kiss had all been a trick to spite Evangeline. He'd fallen for it. 

Eliana had walked right back into the dining room, where Richard had been waiting to hear how it went. Of course, she had a victory story to tell her boyfriend—poor Daron had fallen for her trick. Her sister had gone running.

And now Daron didn't know what to do. He'd scared her off twice, and he knew that this time was probably beyond apologizing, probably beyond reconciliation. He'd simply ruined it, and there was no way to correct it.

Daron walked up to her door, knowing all along that she was gone. When he tried the doorknob, he twisted it and realized that she'd left it unlocked. Was she inside? Some raw hope allowed him to think that perhaps she had decided to stay.

A very wrong hope.

Clothes were strewn across the room, some she'd decided to pack, some she didn't. Everything in her bathroom was gone. And, on top of everything, he knew she'd left because she'd taken her paints and her easel.

He hadn't missed the beautiful sunset painting by the door to the parlor. She'd obviously dropped it. He'd taken the care to bring it back to her cottage so nobody else in her family would discover it and wonder.

When he realized what had really happened, Daron felt horrible. She'd only wanted to show him her latest work, something she was obviously very proud of—and for good reason. She had never shown anybody a painting before, and she had actually been _eager_ to trust him with it again. Thanks to him, she would never come out of her shell ever again.

He'd talked with her. She'd shared all her secrets about her family, about her sister. Why hadn't he just walked away from Eliana? He knew from his conversations with Evangeline that the woman was sinister and evil—no joke— and that he should stay away from her. But no. He had to be a dolt, falling into her trap the second he set foot in the hall. But never mind any of that.

He'd betrayed Evangeline. Again. And not only would he pay for that, but she would too, along with everyone else around her.

* * *

"So you like to draw?" asked the guy next to her. He'd seemed friendly enough, and they'd talked for the past fifteen minutes since getting on the train. _Besides_, she thought_, now I can talk to whoever I want to. I'm free_. She felt a surge of pride as she turned toward Braiden. 

"I really do," she told him. "I've been doodling in my notebooks since second grade."

"I can see you're good at it," Braiden said, nodding to what she'd already sketched. They'd stopped a few minutes ago in a rather old-fashioned city. She'd fallen in love with the beautiful buildings there and picked one to sketch. She had picked out the details that she would need to finish the sketch and penciled in all the major lines. Now she was finishing it as they rode, and Braiden had volunteered to tell her when a large bump was coming up.

"Ah well, I've taken many classes to get to where I am," Evangeline said, not feeling like telling him otherwise.

She spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between talking to Braiden, drawing, reading, and dozing.

* * *

**She's really quite beautiful, sitting there sleeping. Little does she know that I'm watching her. I've always been watching her. Not a day goes by without either sitting at her restaurant, observing her through the kitchen doors, or watching her with the kids at the theatre.**

**I knew that the man would be trouble. I knew since the moment I caught him looking longingly at the other sister. At her _twin_. It's really quite funny how Eliana can be so betraying. You'd think that the two of them would be closer to each other. No, they're not. It seems that even if they'd been born identical twins—which I wouldn't want—they would still be as far apart as ever. And that's just fine with me. I wouldn't want my beautiful Evangeline as dark and sinister as her sister is.**

**No, she's just fine, sitting there with a pencil in her slack hand, her sketchbook bouncing on her lap as the train rolls on. Her head has lolled to the window side, and although I would rather her facing me, I realize it's her comfort that matters most. I really should call for a pillow and a blanket for her.**

**I'm taking a risk, having her come to Colorado, buying the ticket for her. I really should have had her go somewhere else, somewhere not so risky. It was either have her come here and risk the Scott man, or go back and have her hook up with that Daron cad.**

**Either way, I'll be going with her to watch. Always, eternally watch. And I'll be right next door when we have to get a hotel in order to catch a train again the next day.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Again, thank-yous are at the bottom!

* * *

**

_**Chapter Four**_

_Evangeline looked toward the dining room as her mother let out an exasperated sigh. Seconds later—the twins had both known it was coming—she shouted Evangeline's name. "Evangeline! Get in her right this second!"_

_She set down her book on the coffee table and slumped her shoulders as she walked into their large dining room. Her mother stood there over where she and her sister had been sitting for breakfast, pointing at a small bunch of crumbs on that side of the table. "I am sick of you leaving your mess everywhere you go. Couldn't you possibly learn to eat more politely? You embarrass me so much when we go out, you can never eat a meal without getting something on your shirt or on someone's lace tablecloth. I can't stand it! You're getting an etiquette teacher as soon as I can find one." Mrs. Winter ran her fingers through her hair in a very stressed-out manner. "Clean it up."_

_Evangeline went into the kitchen to get a wet rag, feeling like dirt for what she did, but when she came out to the dining room once again to clean up her mess, she couldn't help but notice that the crumbs were piled on the table in front of where Eliana sat.

* * *

_

Evangeline couldn't wait to check into a hotel room a night later. The flip-down beds had been somewhat comfortable, and she'd been fortunate enough to get a bottom bunk, completely covered by the curtain. She'd French-braided her hair and resisted boredom the entire second day, but she was hankering for a shower. She lugged two of her duffle bags over one shoulder and another over her other, while her hands carried her easel and paint bags.

"Are you sure you can make it?" asked Braiden, his hands out, offering to take one of her bags as they left the depot.

Evangeline nodded. "It would be completely out of your way to help me with my stuff. I'm checking into a hotel because my next train is tomorrow at ten. I have no idea why a train doesn't leave before that, but—"

"You're heading into Denver?" Braiden suddenly asked, interrupting her.

She nodded and frowned. "Are you?"

Braiden grinned. "What a coincidence! I'm visiting my brother who lives in Denver." He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "I thought the same thing when I bought my tickets. The layover is crazy. What hotel are you staying at?"

"Um…" Evangeline rubbed the back of her neck, which was sore after the whole two days of riding on the train. "I'm not quite sure yet. I was praying on the way here that I would find something that was available. I hope I can."

His expression immediately brightened. "This is great. I was supposed to be traveling with my brother's girlfriend… her parents live in the same city as me, and she'd come to see her sick mother. I was supposed to escort her back to Denver, but her mom took a turn for the worse. I had an extra train ticket that I gave away, but the hotel rooms are still booked."

Evangeline frowned, wondering what this had to do with her. He must have caught her expression because he continued to elaborate, "My brother insisted it wouldn't be proper for us to share a room, so I got two. One of them won't be filled tonight."

"Oh!" Evangeline exclaimed. "That's too kind… I couldn't take it…" It wasn't as if she couldn't afford her own hotel room. She had thousands of dollars to spend!

"If you don't take it, it will be left empty," Braiden shrugged. "I don't mean to pressure you or anything. It's just an offer."

She couldn't say no. "Of course. That would be wonderful!"

Braiden ran a hand through his long, blond hair, and his blue eyes twinkled back at her. "I'm sure you would agree that a stay at the Marriott wouldn't be too shabby?"

Evangeline's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "The _Marriott_!" She had, of course, stayed at a Marriott before, but that was with her parents. She never expected anything but the best from her parents. But this guy was offering to her a stay in one of the best hotels around, and for free! "Oh, but I'll have to pay you back."

He waved her away with his hand before coming up to her shoulder to take hold of her bags. "Allow me to escort you?"

"Of course," Evangeline grinned, handing the bags over none too reluctantly. They'd been beginning to weigh down her shoulders, and she didn't know if she could have made it to the bus station and then lugged it to a hotel. Besides, the man was carrying a simple suitcase.

Evangeline looked the man over curiously. They'd learned a lot about each other while traveling, and she'd discovered that he liked a lot of the same things she did. He liked to draw and loved books, especially Shakespeare, passionately. This man must be kind and gentle-hearted to even escort her to the Marriott, and for free! Not often had she come across someone of the male gender who enjoyed reading Shakespeare and had a quote in mind for nearly every circumstance. Once when they were passing through a particularly gorgeous town or sight, she'd caught him mumbling a poem about the beauty to himself.

They took a bus down to the Marriott. She had to wonder what kind of money he made—obviously _good _money. Although why, if he had money to burn, would he jump at the chance to take a free bus downtown? It wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth, but she couldn't help but doubt—if only for a few seconds—if he really did have a sister-in-law that was supposed to be traveling with him.

* * *

Eliana raised her eyebrows as Daron reported what he'd found. The gator idling out in front of her bungalow, the door unlocked, discarded clothes strewn across the floor and bed, toiletries completely gone. All of her other personal items had disappeared, and it could only mean one thing. Evangeline had run away. 

Again.

The woman had to stop turning around and sprinting in the other direction; she needed to face her fears. For all her life, when Eliana had said something sarcastic to her, not really meaning it and expecting a comeback, Evangeline had always looked at her with those sad eyes and just as soon bow her head. The girl didn't know how to defend herself, but she had an extremely hard shell, a hedge of boundaries that always seemed to hold her. Eliana had caught her opening her mouth to retort several times, but somehow the words never found their way to her mouth. She always bit them back, as if she were afraid to hurt her sister.

And yet Eliana repeatedly hurt her even though she received only a sad gaze in return. Those eyes were so unnerving. While one could say they looked blank, if you looked deep enough into them, you would see a deep ocean of knowledge, a sense of intelligence despite everything else. Her eyes shouted "I know something you don't know" even if her mouth couldn't. Sometimes Eliana couldn't help but wonder what her sister knew, what could possibly cause such a secure air about someone who was so completely uncomfortable. It was amazing someone with such a meaningless life could have such meaningful eyes. Eliana knew the sense of self-assurance was fake.

Outside the shell, Evangeline was confident and mature. But Eliana had seen those few times when she'd become vulnerable and flashed a sliver of her true personality. Her shyness was one of those traits, same as running. Running from Daron when he found out the truth beside the pool that day. Running from her and Daron, unable to accept something that might possibly be true—but wasn't. Those times when she'd gone to King Soopers to change a twenty-dollar bill into quarters before going downtown to shop. She would drop a quarter in every single one of those beggars' cups.

"What if some of them are scams? You never know when someone is out there begging when they really aren't poor," Eliana had pointed out one time as they walked down the street. She'd been slightly embarrassed to be seen with someone who went scurrying around on the sidewalks trying to get everyone with a plastic cup quarters.

Evangeline had simply shrugged. "A quarter will do a poor man plenty and a rich man nothing," she'd said, dropping a dollar's worth of quarters into a man's cup because his teeth looked like they needed serious dental work. He could at least buy a toothbrush to help. "A quarter is no problem when it's out of my pocket. What should it matter if I end up handing out one or two of them to someone who doesn't need any money? It is better to have taken the risk, for in the end I would have helped as many—or more—in need than not."

She was so philosophical, and Eliana knew that someday that would be her downfall.

"She just needs to get away for a little while," Eliana pointed out, resting back against the chair sitting on the patio off the side of their house. "I mean, it takes a while for her to get used to the idea that her sister can get anyone she wants—even someone she'd been dating for a week."

Daron sent a hard glare in her direction. "You cannot _get _me, Eliana. You just stole a kiss, one that was completely involuntary on my part. You only did it just to hurt your sister's feelings." He shook his head with disgust. "No, _wait_. I don't know _why _you did it, but it was horrible. _You _are horrible."

"And just why are you calling my daughter horrible?" Mrs. Winter asked, her feet barely making a sound as they walked onto the patio. She had a frown on her face, and Eliana couldn't help but feel proud that her mother had walked in at just the right moment. She wished she could take credit for the way Daron's face immediately turned a dark shade of red.

Daron stood, and Eliana looked forward to his explanation. "Uh, Mrs. Winter…" He looked down at his hands nervously. "I made a trip to Evangeline's cabin today. I found out she's left, and packed all of her things."

"You mean she left for good, not just on a trip?" When Daron shrugged, Mrs. Winter continued to question sharply. "Why did she decide to leave so abruptly?"

* * *

To Daron's surprise, Mrs. Winter did not seem shocked or even sad about her daughter's disappearance. She only sat down on one of the patio chairs, crossed her legs, folded her hands, and waited patiently for an explanation. And Daron didn't know how he was going to explain. How would she take it if he said that the reason why her daughter left was because she'd caught him kissing her sister? 

"I think it would be best if Eliana explained this," Daron said, looking over at her. She looked first shocked, and then surprised, then angry that he would direct her mother's question toward her.

"I… uh…" Eliana fumbled for words. "Evangeline walked in on Daron and me talking in the dining room, and assumed the wrong thing. We were sitting on the same couch, and from her viewpoint we might have been closer than we were. She thought she saw something that she didn't." Eliana sent a glare in Daron's direction.

Daron's jaw went slack, shocked that Eliana would lie. But then again, why put it past her? She'd already tricked both he and Evangeline, why not her parents too? Besides, what did she have to lose? Her parents loved her and wouldn't dare think that she'd do such a thing. They wouldn't believe it even if she herself confessed to them.

Mrs. Winter looked thoughtful. "So she left in a flurry, without even talking to you guys or confirming her fears?"

Eliana nodded before Daron could say anything. "She's way too sensitive, Mother. She glimpses anything that might suggest something other than proper, and she goes running away."

"She probably took the money from her bank account, too," Mrs. Winter smiled with satisfaction.

"You put money in her account?" Eliana gaped at her mother. Of course, the only way there would be any money in her bank was if her parents deposited it. "Why? She was never a good daughter."

Daron could have sworn he saw a glint in Mrs. Winter's eye. "Ah, but that's exactly the point! We gave her money specifically for this reason: to help her run away. She was going to do it some time. She couldn't stay here in the shelter of the lake and our house forever, and when she did decide to take that step out into the world, she would have to have some money. And this way, with her thinking there's something between you and Daron, she won't ever come back." Eliana's mother stood up, flicked a microscopic speck of dust off her dress—she was a perfectionist—and began to move toward the doorway inside. "I'm going to go check to see if she's taken the money."

As soon as Mrs. Winter had left and they heard her footsteps echo in the hallway until she was positively out of earshot, Daron turned on Eliana. "I can't believe you lied about something like that! Her heart is broken because she caught you _kissing _me. I just don't understand why you would do that to your own sister, twist it around to make it look like she's the one with the sick mind."

Eliana flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a smirk. "Well, you know, I couldn't tell my mother the truth." She grinned. "And remember, it's your word against mine."

"There's Evangeline, too, you know."

"Like Mother said, she'll never come back to even _give _her word," Eliana pointed out. "Plus, to her, it was _you _making the move. Most of the time it's the man kissing the woman, not vice versa." She stood. "So either way, I am the person least incriminated."

She turned and walked into the house, leaving Daron to sit and contemplate what had just happened by himself.

* * *

Evangeline set aside her sketchpad at the sound of someone knocking. The hotel room was beautiful, and she'd already settled in and taken a shower. But, however, Braiden had not let her have even an hour of relaxation time. Her hair had still been wrapped in a towel—thankfully she'd been dressed—the first time he'd knocked, and she'd had to decline his invitation to a walk on the grounds. The second time, she'd politely said no to his proposal to go for a swim in the pool or set in the hot tub. 

Now she wondered what on earth he had in mind.

Walking to the door and first checking her appearance in the mirror, she undid the chain and opened the door. Braiden stood there with a grin on his face. "You _have _to accept an invitation to a free dinner downstairs at the restaurant."

What harm could dinner do? Hopefully it wouldn't last long. Evangeline nodded and yawned as she walked out of her hotel room, slipping her key into the pocket of her jacket.

"You don't need to bring a coat or anything, Evangeline," Braiden pointed out, "We're only going downstairs."

Evangeline shrugged. "Sometimes it's best to be prepared. You never know what may happen, and I don't want to make another trek upstairs just in case."

They entered the elevator and rode down to the first floor. "Are you suggesting you might be interested in going for a walk with me around the grounds? I'm sure they have lights in the garden for night owls."

She shrugged. "I'll think about it. Right now, though, I'm barely able to hold back a yawn. Even though I've been sitting all day on a train, I've somehow managed to drain nearly every drop of my energy."

"Well, yes, you think about that," Braiden said. "Because you might not ever get a chance to walk in a Marriott garden again. Our train leaves early in the morning, and this is the only time we could do it. Besides, I've heard this one is special. There's a pretty pond with ducks living nearby that is supposedly a beautiful sight to see."

Braiden took her elbow and held a chair for her as she sat down, and she grinned and commented, "So chivalrous!" even though she was perfectly used to men paying her such respects. She'd learned, though, from being in public and going to college that a woman was actually lucky to have such extravagance and manners around her. It seemed like the vast majority of men today didn't even know how to _pronounce_ the word chivalry, much less spell it or know the meaning of it.

"Ah, well, I learned from the best."

"And who might 'the best' be?" Evangeline asked, feigning curiosity. She wasn't in the mood to endure any awkward silences, and she sure wasn't going to let the conversation lean in that direction at all that evening. At least she hoped not.

"My grandmother was the very image of chivalry and manners. She has an English accent and even invites her lady friends over for tea every day. Whenever I step into her house, it's like walking in the 1800's. She wears fancy dresses and never lets her manners slip whatsoever. Her posture is straight as a board, and she walks slowly so she won't trip or stumble. She's like the Queen herself," Braiden seemed caught up in his reminiscing. "By the time I was eight my parents had her teaching all of my siblings and I the proper manners a young man and lady should have."

Evangeline wasn't sure what to say, so she smiled in return. She hadn't learned from a loving grandmother but a strict governess. It wasn't pleasant, being poked in the back with a cane when your back wasn't straight. Yes, learning manners the way they'd both learned them _was_ like walking back in time, except she was constantly a misbehaving child during those classes.

"Of course, a lot of those things have faded as I've spent more time in the business world," Braiden shrugged, looking over at her with a half-smile. "It's actually quite a shame, the way it happens. Even though it crosses my mind every time I eat soup, it's not really considered horrible manners if you don't push your spoon forward instead of backward when you eat. A friend of mine even has a habit of raising the bowl to his mouth to make the most of the last of the broth."

"Yes, it's really sad, isn't it?" Evangeline shrugged. "But what can you do? Some of the people these days don't even know the meaning of the word ethics. A girl I met in college actually got the word confused with _ethnic_ when I brought the subject up while we were eating lunch."

Braiden grinned. "I really do enjoy talking about such topics, considering I used to interrupt my professors' lectures in college to argue with them about these things, but I'd also like to keep the conversation light during dinner. What other topics do you propose we talk about?

_Wow, this guy sounds like an English teacher_, Evangeline mused. "How about world peace, capital punishment, the deteriorating O-zone layer, or world hunger?"

Braiden laughed, a big, booming laugh that seemed to echo across the dining room. "Good one, but I have to say, I'd like to hear more about you."

She resisted the urge to frown. What did he think this was? A date. No, no, no. It was nothing close to a date. She'd simply accepted his invitation to a free dinner, and she was planning on declining his idea of a walk in the garden. She hadn't wanted him to get the idea that this might be more than a three-day friendship that would end as soon as the trip, but it seemed it was a little too late. "Ah, well, there's really nothing more to tell about me." She couldn't wait to turn the conversation to him. "I've already pretty much told you everything on the train. How about you talk about yourself?"

Braiden shrugged, and she couldn't help but notice he looked slightly uncomfortable. She'd asked the same question a few times over the train ride, and every time he'd changed the subject or pretended he hadn't heard. "Like I've said before, there isn't anything that's interesting about me. I'd really rather here more about _you_."

That uncomfortable feeling came rushing back, like a clanging bell in her head. She'd made it clear she didn't want to talk about herself. Why couldn't the guy understand that? "Look…" she didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she also didn't want him to continue to think the wrong thing. "I don't know what you think, but when I accepted your invitation tonight, the thought that it could be a date didn't even cross my mind. In fact, I don't have anything _but _friendship—not even that—on my mind, at least for you and me."

Braiden didn't comment; he just sat there, watching her with a glassy stare.

She continued. "I know I might have given you the wrong idea, but we both know that the second we step off the train and go our separate ways, we're not likely to see each other again. It's just common sense."

"Sometimes love and common sense don't match up," Braiden said quietly.

The statement surprised Evangeline. How had they gone from simply talking on the train in order to pass the time to speaking of love? The silence stretched between them for a few moments, and she forced herself to speak. "There are several reasons why that cannot be. First, it just can't happen. We hardly even know each other. Even though love can be crazy, we aren't in love. I'm sorry, but I don't even have those feelings for you. Second, I don't believe in love anyway."

She let the comment set for a few seconds.

He fixed her with an angry glare. "Well, if you're going to be around any males wherever you're going, I suggest you sort out how you act around them. You wouldn't want to give anybody the wrong idea. _Again_."

Evangeline felt her breath leave her lungs. So it was all being twisted around to make it look like she was the bad person again. She should have expected it, because it always happened. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't make anything right. She'd just wanted to make a friend, even though she knew it would only be for the train ride. And look how it had blown over.

"Excuse me. I need to use the restroom," she said the words without feeling, got up numbly, and instead of walking toward the ladies' room, she promptly walked out the dining room door and through the main entrance of the building. She might as well see the gardens while she was escaping Braiden.

She didn't realize until later that she'd left her jacket on her chair.

* * *

When Evangeline finally made her way back upstairs to her room, she felt numb all over—emotionally and physically both—and her skin had formed into tiny hills of goose bumps because of the cold. 

It wasn't until she stepped out of the elevator did she realize that she'd left her keys in her jacket, which she'd left with Braiden. Had he taken her keys? Where had he put her jacket? She hadn't noticed a jacket still hanging on any of the chairs when she'd walked through the dining room on the way to the elevator.

Perhaps he'd done the right thing and left her key somewhere for her to find. Maybe he'd left it will the clerk downstairs for her to pick up. _Fat chance_, she thought as she remembered the icy stare directed at her. She'd replayed the scene over and over in her head, wondering what she could have done better, said better.

Evangeline gasped. Her door was swung wide open, and inside, the room was cluttered. Things had been thrown all over her room. Her clothes were strewn onto her bed; papers torn from her sketchbook were being rustled by the heater. On her way to see if her easel and art paints had been bothered, she noticed that several of her unmentionables had been hung on the many lamps in the room.

Her entire art suitcase hadn't been disturbed, but she frowned when she saw the drawing she'd been working on shredded into little bits and laying on the table.

* * *

**The anger is intolerable. I can't control it, no matter how hard I try. She must know I'm the one who did it, but I cannot let her know that. I feel guilty for letting my anger get the best of me—but it is still raging inside. I don't want to give it up. It's beautiful, the way it takes over my entire body, how good it feels just to get some of the hatred out.**

**No, I don't hate her. I feel the opposite.**

**But right now I'd rather close my eyes, live in the anger. It's not the violent anger—all of that is gone now—but the sort that feels delicious if you let it mellow. The righteous sort of anger and frustration that makes you wonder what you're going to do next…**

**

* * *

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**Author's Note:**

**Thank you to all you guys who have reviewed!**

**Merryman:** Thanks! I have to admit, though, I sort of hurried through that story. This next one is goign to be well thought-out, I promise. And then about your review for my new story, thanks! I think I should have made my bold-typed words a little clearer though. I think people are getting the wrong idea about them...

**Crystal:** Lol, I was wondering how long it would take for you to realize I haven't updated in awhile. Oh well I'm glad you like it, even though it was boring. Yeah, actually, the entire story was kinda boring. I could have done better. But oh well! Thanks! And how many times do I have to tell you to quit making me cry? Yeah, and who says you can't like fictional characters? Thanks, Crys, you've made me feel so much better. And no. Thank _you!_

**Gi Xian**

**C.R.G.** Maybe I got this wrong or it was a typo. You think God's a deranged stalker? Nope. And about the bold type at the end of the chapter, well, you'll see a little later... Yeah, I think I read that wrong. Anyway, no the words at teh end of each chapter are _not _from God, lol! Thanks!

**SCelestia:** Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to both read my story AND review!

**Silentescape :** Yeah, it has been awhile! But it's not you, I've just been away for a long time. But I'm back! Thanks! I'm sorry I haven't been writing for a while and that it took _me _so long to write the end of this and start another story.

**Thanks once again, guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

_Evangeline gazed out over the lake, wondering how to capture its beauty. Of course, she saw it every day and it wasn't breathtaking, but it was certainly pretty. With the mansion in the background, the trees lining the edge, and a quiet breeze slightly ruffling the water, one could sit there and simply _watch _it until the sun went down. She began blending the blue paint until she had a series of dark, water-like blues, and she began painting the lake._

_Normally she never began painting in such a manner. If she weren't feeling outgoing she would have started with the mansion—the hardest part of the painting, surely—so she could throw away the paper if she messed up. But she knew she would have to capture the way the lake reflected the light now._

_Suddenly, Evangeline heard the rustle of feet behind her. She felt a chill run down her spine as she turned in her fold-up chair to see who was behind her. All she saw was a glimpse of a cloak—the one she'd seen the corner of several times—and then she was alone again.

* * *

_

Scott Kincaid seriously considered moving out to the porch and sit on the rocking chair and twiddle his thumbs like an old man. The ranch had been closed for a few days for him to get a handle on things and hire a few new workers. His friend Levi would be taking care of the horses, Ella the cooking, and Hannah the cleaning. However, the two women wouldn't be starting for another month or two—they'd both signed contracts to other businesses. One of them, Claire, was a painter and bound to the art shop in town for a little while longer. The other, an older woman named Ruth, had agreed to help with the housekeeping for another ranch up in Estes Park. So he'd have to take care of the cooking and cleaning by himself until then, which wasn't really a problem.

And the ranch had just opened today. He knew he should be patient, but he wanted his first customer, his first guest right _now_. He'd already vacuumed and dusted every inch possible in the main house and inspected each of the private cabins carefully. The private cabins existed in the woods, each of them branching off from a main path that started near the main cabin. He'd even brushed off each of the stepping stones on that path with a broom, shoveled the dirt driveway until it was completely flat and as smooth as possible, and dusted the cobwebs on the outside walls of the cabins.

Levi was in town having fun with a couple of his friends, as he would be frequently since the horses didn't need constant attention. He was all alone in the house, and with no guests. When were his guests going to come?

Evangeline hopped stiffly from the bus, stretching her back as soon as she stepped onto solid ground. For years, it seemed, she'd been sitting and watching the countryside go by. It was only a few days, but to her it was an eternity.

Yes, it had been an eternity since she'd seen her beautiful mansion and picturesque lake. It seemed months since she'd been at the hotel with Braiden! She'd told the people down at the desk about her room, and they'd conducted a search but did not find out who had done it. She herself didn't know who to suspect, even though her finger wanted to point toward Braiden. He'd been the one with her key; he'd even returned her jacket with the key inside it the next morning, offering her a sincere apology for his 'unacceptable behavior' the night before.

And their journey to Denver had been just as cheery as before; they parted ways without anger between them, except of course for Evangeline's involuntary suspicion.

Evangeline sighed as she stepped out onto the ground. It felt refreshing to be on unmoving ground, even if she felt a little dizzy. It would take her awhile to get used to the high elevation, said the tourist book she'd bought from the little store on the train. And she still had yet to find Scott Kincaid's ranch. And lug all her bags there.

_So this is Columbine Falls. _

The first thing she noticed was the painting store directly in front of her. From the looks of it, 'downtown' was a strip of dirt they called Main Street lined with a bunch of small shops. The different stores looked like they hadn't been built at the same time at all—some of them had a cement sidewalk in front of their doors, some had wood or tile, and others even had a sort of deck, the edges of which had probably banged up many a shin.

The shops were beautiful; they had the sort of old-fashioned look she'd always loved. Not that she could have found it anywhere near where she lived, but she'd noticed a lot of the homes and business buildings looked that way on the journey to Columbine Falls.

Right next to the art shop was a small restaurant, which looked friendly enough, and her stomach was rumbling. It was definitely lunch time.

Evangeline retrieved her luggage from the bus and made her way slowly through the crowd toward the restaurant. Many of the people were heading toward shops to browse or going directly toward the hotel on the other side of the 'street'. She coughed as a car rumbled by, stirring up dust and sending a solid wave of it toward her and the other members of the crowd.

She was not at all reluctant to set down her bags on a chair and collapse into the one next to it. She ate a quick French dip with Swiss cheese and went up to the counter to pay. "Also, do you think you could tell me where Kincaid Cabins is?" she remembered to ask the cashier.

The cashier smiled. "You're in luck. Just reopened today because it got a new owner a week and a half ago. I hear it's Kincaid's brother's son, come clear from somewhere along the east coast."

"I heard so, too," Evangeline flashed him a smile.

The man gave her directions, which turned out to be not as complicated as she thought. She had the address, but according to the man, there weren't street signs on all of the streets here in Columbine Falls.

Just as Evangeline stepped out onto the dirty street to begin walking, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Resisting the urge to gasp, she whirled around as quickly as her bags would allow.

"Excuse me, but I heard you ask about the Kincaid rental cabins," said a man with dark black hair and matching eyes. She couldn't quite read his expression, though she could have sworn she glimpsed a hint of humor in his eyes.

"Yes, I did," Evangeline answered, wondering what business the man had with her. She almost wished she had the confidence to ask him so she could be on with her long walk. The sooner she was there, the better.

"It's quite lucky for you—considering you've probably come from far—to get here the day Kincaid Cabins opened," the man pointed out.

"I was invited to come and visit," Evangeline shrugged. "I doubt it would matter when I came. However, I intend to stay as a customer, because I plan on visiting for a couple of months."

"How on earth did you come to be invited?" the man asked with a frown.

She wondered why he was asking so many questions. "I'm a friend of the owner. I knew him before he moved out here to take over the ranch after his uncle passed away." She couldn't help but be slightly testy with him. After all, it _was _none of his business why or how she came to be here. And it wasn't like she was eager to tell—therefore relive—the entire story.

The man was obviously curious. "You know Scott?"

"Yes," she answered patiently. "And I'm on my way to his rental cabins right now. I'd like to make it there before sunset, if you don't mind."

He laughed as she tried to turn away and caught her shoulder once more. That same hand was suddenly stuck in front of her. "Levi Jacobson. I help Scott run the rental. And you are?"

Evangeline shook Levi's hand. "I'm Evangeline."

"Pretty name," Levi smiled. "But with no last name to accompany it?"

She shook her head. "Just Evangeline."

"So you're walking all the way to Kincaid Rentals?" Levi asked with another frown. He gestured to her baggage. "And with all these?"

Evangeline nodded. "I don't see any other way to get there, do you?" Again she tried to turn away and keep walking, but for the third time he caught her shoulder.

"I could give you a lift. I'm headed that way, anyway," Levi offered.

"Sorry, but I don't normally accept 'lifts' from strangers," she tried to turn down his offer as graciously as she could.

"I'm no stranger, I remind you," Levi said. "I'm one of Scott's friends. I handle the horses. I won't kidnap you, I promise." He smiled and lifted a brow, obviously humored by her cautiousness.

It was Evangeline's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Ah, but how am I supposed to believe that you're one of Scott's friends? Any one of these people could walk up to me and say they know Scott and that they're friends with him. What you say won't make you any less a stranger until you can prove it."

"Good point," Levi nodded, his expression now thoughtful. "What would you say if I told you that I knew Levi lived in a mansion amongst a bunch of other well-to-dos? That his family has always been a big part of the social scene in that area, but his father acquired a case of depression after Scott's mother died, and slowly began to become a rich hermit?"

"Hmm," Evangeline contemplated what Levi said, then nodded. "I think I might just believe you."

"So you'll accept the ride? That's going to be quite a journey, especially with all those bags. And if you're from where Scott came from, you're likely to pass out halfway there because you're nowhere near used to the climate and elevation," Levi said. He pointed to a black car parked across the street and raised his eyebrows.

Evangeline thought about what he said. Would she truly pass out halfway to Scott's place? Or was he simply exaggerating? She weighed the situations carefully in her head. Ride in the car with Levi and risk being abducted like all those newspaper stories said, or the possibility of fainting halfway there because of elevation?

"I think I might just take you up on the offer," Evangeline said, resigned. She did _not _feel like fainting or passing out. Or any kind of strenuous activity whatsoever.

* * *

Scott Kincaid looked out the window to see Levi's black car pull up through the circle drive, and wind around to park on the other side of the main cabin where he usually parked. Only this time, Scott could barely see through the dark tinted windows, he had a woman with him. Typical. But why would he bring her back here? Of course, he would much rather spend time with a date in town than back here at the ranch.

Scott sat down on his chair in the living room again, picked up his book, and tried to act casual as he watched the doorknob turn out of the corner of his eye. Seconds later, Levi barged into the room with a noisy clamor. Why on earth did he have bags strung over his shoulder?

It occurred to him that they were the women's. Oh no. Was he going to have to have this talk with Levi again?

"I've got our first customer," Levi said triumphantly. "She says she's a friend of yours."

Scott watched the doorway, utterly confused. He could hear the footsteps of the woman who apparently thought she was a friend of his. A few moments later, he saw her appear in the doorway, her eyes looking down at her feet and an easel case in her hand. Yes, she did look familiar.

She looked up and grinned at him sheepishly. "Hi, Scott."

"Evangeline Winters!" Scott exclaimed, feeling his grin widening on his face. He moved forward to give her a sort of half-embrace. "So your father _did _decide to come and visit?" He leaned toward the doorway, trying to look out, expecting to see Eliana and her parents.

She shook her head. "It's only me. Of course Father wouldn't take the time off to come."

"What about your mother? And Eliana?"

"It's only me," she repeated. She appeared to not want to discuss it, and he let the topic drop.

"How long are you staying?" Scott felt foolish for letting his questions get ahead of him. He felt like he was interrogating, and he was sure she felt likewise.

Again that sheepish look returned. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind…" she looked down at her toes again. "I was planning on staying for a few weeks…" What he could see of her face turned bright pink. "Or maybe a few months…"

Scott couldn't stop the exclamation, and it burst from his mouth: "A few months!"

Evangeline blushed even harder. "I needed to get away for a while. You know how that can get, the pressures of our family and such." He knew she meant the social status. "Mother is going crazy with all of it, of course. It was really stressing me out."

"I understand completely," he rushed to say. "Secretly, I was glad to leave it all myself. I love the peacefulness of the mountains. And I absolutely couldn't wait to own this place." He gestured to the cabin, feeling a rush of happiness as he said the words. He felt the same way every time he thought of it. _I'm the owner!_

She seemed relieved to know he understood. "That's wonderful. I'm sure you're delighted, and I'm even happier you run this place. It's beautiful. Now, I heard you had some private cabins off in the woods…"

"Yep, and you're in luck. Normally those are taken, but you are our first guest. You have a choice on whether to lodge in here or out there," he stuck his thumb over his shoulder.

"I'll take a cabin," Evangeline smiled. "And I'll pay by the month, if that's okay."

"That's fine," Scott agreed. "Well, let's off to the cabins. You can pick which one you want. Would you like me to take your bags?"

Levi surrendered them with a grin, and he could feel his eyes on them as they walked out of the house and he led the way down the trail to the clearings that held the cabins.

* * *

Evangeline grinned at Levi as she followed Scott out of the cabin. By now she figured it would be a nice stay, and quite a relief from her parents and her sister. Yes, _quite _a relief. Even the fresh, almost-pollution-free air was beginning to work on her. Even though her stomach was still a little unstable and she felt like she had just stepped off an intense roller coaster because she wasn't used to the elevation, she also couldn't escape the feeling of refreshment.

"I hope you don't mind that I came so early. I really did get exasperated with… things," Evangeline didn't know what to say. She'd given him an explanation, but it was still a lie and hardly adequate. More questions were bound to come later. Why hadn't she thought about this before she came?

"I was wondering about that," Scott raised an eyebrow at her, a slow grin spreading at his mouth. "But no, that's fine. I'm delighted. I've been waiting all morning to have a guest and who better than an old friend from back home?"

Evangeline smiled. "Well, I didn't really want to wear out my welcome by coming so early—"

"Not at all. Don't even start thinking that," Scott tossed a serious look over his shoulder as he hopped playfully from one stepping stone to another. His grin returned as he explained, "It's always been a tradition to only step on the stones when we go through here. Back when I used to visit here with my family, all of the Kincaid kids had a rule. No stepping on anything but the stones." He shrugged, even with her bags weighting them down. She felt sort of bad for making him carry them. She knew they were heavy. "I guess I'm sort of carrying on the tradition, even though I'm nowhere near to still being a kid."

She laughed. "I'm afraid we don't have any crazy traditions like that at my house, but when my sister and I always had our little rules like that when we were little. Whenever we played in the kitchen, we always jumped from colored tile to colored tile, and we made a game out of it. We would try to push each other onto the white squares, and whenever you landed on a tile not colored, you gained a point."

"So the object of the game was to _not _get points," Scott finished for her. "We always had those games every time we went to the supermarket. We would hop along after whoever brought us like little frogs."

They both laughed at the memories, and before they knew it they'd reached the first cabin. "Any preferences?" Scott gestured to the other cabins within sight.

"Aren't they all the same?"

He nodded.

"Well, then, I guess I'll just take this one," Evangeline shrugged.

Scott pulled out a medium-sized ring of keys from the pocket of his khaki pants and began to look through them. Several minutes later—he was obviously unaccustomed to fining the different keys—he stuck one into the hole and opened the door for her. Always the gentleman, he put her bags into the cabin and gave her a key. "You've got a little kitchen over there," he gestured to the kitchenette, "but you're also welcome to eat in the main house. I won't charge you extra."

"No, that's fine, I'll pay," Evangeline grinned. "I went to the bank before I came and found out I'm not exactly poor. I'll pay for the meals by the month, too, if that's okay. I'm actually pretty sick of cooking my own food." Too late, she realized she shouldn't have said that. _Oh man_.

Scott frowned. "Why did you have to cook your own meals?"

_Here goes. _"Well, it got to be kind of a pain to go clear to the main house to get food three times a day. Most of the time I just got food from the store and made my own lunches and breakfasts. I normally ate dinner at the big house." _Liar_. She couldn't help but feel guilty. Her lie was just becoming bigger and bigger, like all of those stories at church said fibs would. But she didn't want to have to explain to him about her job at the Italian restaurant… she worked there on evenings a lot, and that's where she normally ate dinner.

"Eliana did the same thing?" he asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. "Nope. Sometimes she would just stay up at the main house for a few days, mostly on weekends when there are a lot of things going on. Otherwise she goes out to lunch with friends. Sometimes she comes over to see what I'm making for meals." _That _was the truth. It's exactly what Eliana did—eat all her food and take advantage of whatever she could when it came to her sister. Or anyone.

"So you guys still have a pretty good relationship?" Scott asked. He seemed genuinely interested, despite the awkward setting. They were both standing stiffly in her cabin, just talking. Nothing to do with their hands, nothing to do with their feet, and nothing really to look at. Extremely uncomfortable.

Evangeline did not want to answer that question, so she shrugged and said, "We're twins." She left the rest to his imagination. Of course he probably assumed that they had a wonderful relationship.

But the truth was far from what people would assume, even her. Normally twins had an extraordinary bond that was unbreakable. Not so in their case. Somehow, throughout all the years since they'd been born, even while they used to have fun together when they were little, Eliana had grown extremely hateful. And even though Evangeline had long since trained herself not to be bothered by all of those things, she couldn't help the pain it brought to her heart every time.

* * *

Brian Winters was sitting at his desk when his wife walked into the room. She promptly planted herself on one of his chairs, the ones his clients normally used. Today, she was all about business. Her expression told him so. Even though she was strict and stern every day, he knew when she was serious.

"Our daughter has left," she said, no emotion displayed on her face. Any normal parent would have been worried sick, but then again Mrs. Winters was not normal.

"Which daughter!" Brian began to stand, his heart beginning to thump hard.

"Evangeline."

His heart stilled. Even though it was still quite a shock, he knew that it was better if Evangeline left. He'd always been more partial to Eliana, but Evangeline was his daughter nonetheless. "Why did she leave?"

"She thought she saw something between Daron and Eliana that obviously wasn't there," Mrs. Winters explained. "But something tells met that I haven't heard the entire story. Those two are scheming. Of course, Eliana has nothing to do with it. She wouldn't do that to her sister."

"Or would she?" Brian asked. "You know, they haven't exactly been bosom buddies these past few years."

Mrs. Winters stiffened and glared at him. "How dare you suggest that Eliana would do such a thing? She has _never _been that hateful!"

Brian put up his hands as a sign of surrender, thinking that whatever he did about the disappearance of his daughter, he wouldn't tell his wife about it. Obviously, she didn't want Evangeline back. But he also knew that if he didn't come up with a story—or an excuse—their reputation would most likely be ruined forever.

* * *

**I knew it was a mistake. The second she steps into his cabin rental, they hit it off. It's just like that night at dinner before he left, they smile and talk and get along wonderfully. It makes me wonder—will I ever get along that great with her? Are we really cut out for each other how I thought we were?**

**Just like old times, she walks into a room and a smile suddenly crosses his face. Her grin brightens, and for the first time you can see in her eyes that she's happy. But they're just friends, aren't they? It's only because they've known each other for years. Right? And I'm the one that's going to end up with her.**

**After all, I'm the one that's been faithful. I know everything about her, every secret she holds, and the way her parents and sister treat her. And yet I haven't stopped loving her, haven't stopped coming faithfully to her restaurant. In fact, look what I did for her and the train! I paid for her tickets! I got her a bus to Columbine Falls! I gave her the address to Scott's place! And on the way up, she was even lucky to snag a stay at the Marriott. Too bad that didn't turn out as wonderfully as she—or I—thought it would. Luckily she got an even better room because her other one got trashed.**

**But no matter how much I try and justify to myself how much I've done for her, I realize that she doesn't even know me as myself. Her memory of me, faded as it is, won't stop her from becoming even better friends with him. Not to mention the fact that they're already good friends.**


End file.
